Rain good for Galveston Bay

Recent Reel Reports have mentioned the welcomed rainfall and its beneficial effects on the marshes, back bays and other areas known as estuaries.

Selma Reeves asked why the rain benefits those areas, as she thought saltwater was best for spawning and breeding fish and other marine life.

The rain is reducing the abnormally high salinity levels around the Galveston Bay complex. The record drought of 2011 halted the flow of much of the freshwater that feeds into the bays. The result was a very high level of salt that can be detrimental to the reproduction of finfish, crustaceans and shellfish.

High salinity levels in the estuaries will kill vegetation, a much-needed element to the life cycle of marine life. Some species of fish cannot tolerate the heavy salt content and move out or perish.

We are approaching a time when newly hatched marine life will be populating the estuaries, and a more balanced salinity level is needed.

Just recently, Lake Livingston began releasing water into the Trinity River, and as rain fills other reservoirs, more water will be sent toward Galveston Bay. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a good spring season of rain across Texas.

On the fishing scene, San Luis Pass is producing some nice stringers of flounder and black drum, with stingrays competing with flounder for bait.

Howard Webb and friends fished the pass Tuesday with live shrimp and landed seven flounder, two black drum to 26 inches, along with whiting and stingrays.Webb said they experienced multiple double hookups, and the water is warming.

Richard Belleau, 61st Street Fishing Pier, reported hard heads, whiting, stingrays and sheepshead being caught from the surf.

The outlook for the weekend looks promising for fishing Sunday afternoon. Today through early Sunday appears to be unsettled with rain and wind forecast in association with the latest cold front.